Farmers checking out the demonstrations of real crops at the Agritech Expo at Chisamba in 2016

from DION HENRICK in Cape Town, South AfricaCAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – THE South African agricultural sector is projected to overcome severe challenges afflicting it in recent years.

This as the country explores new markets, the grain industry experiencing a record-breaking year and an increase in hectarage.

It is a welcome development for the drought-prone Southern African region as the country is the main exporter of grain to several countries in the bloc.

The positive developments have set South Africa on course to conquer challenges suffered in recent years, including policy uncertainty, drought in large parts of the country, devastating disease outbreaks, infrastructure constraints and persistent non-tariff barriers and other trade-related problems.

“The industry is learning to dance with the wind, rather than fighting it. It remains resilient despite these major challenges and limitations,” said Paul Makube, Senior Agricultural Economist at First National Bank (Agriculture).

Makube noted South Africa was exploring new markets and had for the first time exported a shipment of soya-beans to Turkey to explore if it was viable.

South Africa is also discussing with China to import maize, avodaco and soya-beans.

According to Grain South Africa, the grain industry has a record-breaking year.

Maize consumption reached record highs, and the market is absorbing production. Another record was soya-beans consumption, which increased by 472 percent last year, although from a low base since 2000.

Makube noted the government had given soft loans to encourage increased capacity to crush the beans to produce oil, mainly for cooking purposes, and several crushing plants have been set up in the rural areas, of which all are in full production.

FNB Agriculture statistics show that hectares under soya-beans have increased 376 percent in the last decade due to better cooperation between the private sector and government.

Production is up by 450 percent over the same period.

Another new record was the consumption of sunflower seed – the highest since 1998 – as well as for wheat with consumption up 30 percent over the same period.

Makube said new technology in terms of drought-resistant, disease-resistant varieties, irrigation water saving techniques and changes in livestock breeding and feeding had shown that the industry was getting lighter on its feet.

The Agriculture Business Chamber said positive weather prospects bode well for South Africa’s winter crop production season.

The South African Weather Service recently forecast that the south-western parts, the leading producer of South Africa’s winter crops, could receive above-normal rainfall, in high frequency, between May and August.

Staff Reporter JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AVOCADOS have been identified as a key sub-sector to drive the policy ambition by the South African government to achieve export-led growth in agriculture.

To attain that, experts have encouraged the country to follow Kenya’s path and drive exports of the fruit to China.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, between the 1994/95 and 2016/17 production seasons, South Africa’s avocado output grew by 72 percent to 77 508 tonnes.

Most of the avocados are produced in the subtropical areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

“Not many agricultural sub-sectors are a testimony to the export-led growth ambition that the South African government is currently focusing on such as avocados,” the Agricultural Business Chamber (AGBIZ) stated.

The think-tank pointed out the improvement in production in recent years has been underpinned by growing demand from the domestic and global market.

Between 1994/95 and 2016/17, South Africa exported, on average, about two-thirds of its avocado output.

They have accounted for 97 percent of South Africa’s avocado exports in the past two years.

South Africa is the continent’s second largest exporter of the fruit after Kenya.

The East African country accounts for nearly 30 percent share, which is twice the volume produced by South Africa.

Kenya’s leading role has been maintained by its adding China to its list of export markets.

“While these (above-mentioned) markets have served the country well over the past couple of years, it would be useful for South Africa to also explore the Chinese market given its enormous growth in the recent past,” AGBIZ recommended.

by TINTSWALO BALOYIJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SOME 350 small-scale farmers, mostly women and youth, in rural areas have received training in a programme aiming to equip the land tillers with literacy for the digital economy and knowledge society.

Farmers from the northernmost Limpopo Province are the major beneficiaries.

Vodacom Foundation, in partnership with United Nations (UN) Women, introduced the Female Farmers programme in 2018.

The programme, which is focused at empowering smallholder female farmers within the country’s agriculture sector, has to date trained 350 small-scale female farmers in rural areas of Limpopo alone, and aims to increase this number in this new financial period across the country.

Takalani Netshitenzhe, Chief Officer: Corporate Affairs at Vodacom, said the company believed in using technology to transform people’s lives.

She said after realising that the female farmers in the Limpopo UN Women programme lacked digital literacy skills, the Vodacom Foundation availed the Vodacom supported Teacher Centres in Limpopo to provide basic computer literacy in order to prepare them for the introduction of the Vodacom “Connected Farmer App.”

It was launched in 2017 to connect small scale farmers across the agricultural value chain.

The App has already revolutionized small scale farming in Kenya through Safaricom with already over 900 000 registered farmers.

Netshitenzhe said the partnership with UN Women was part of Vodacom’s support for the United Nations Sustainable Development on Zero Hunger and Gender Equality.

ZCC followers dancing as they commemorate our Christian based faith of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Photo, file picture

by AKANI CHAUKEActing News EditorPOLOKWANE, (CAJ News) – THE Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) is making the most of the Easter period to market the province as a leading domestic destination of choice in the country.

LTA views Easter as an important period because Limpopo is home to some big name churches in South Africa.

Officials said the target market will be the visiting friends and relatives (VFR’s) and potential tourists visiting the province.

The objectives for the recently-launched Easter campaign are to educate and raise awareness about Limpopo’s product offerings, to promote Limpopo as an accessible, value-for-money destination for all within and beyond the borders of the province as well as position Limpopo province as a favorable leisure tourism destination of choice.

“There are so many places to visit as (when) people are in the province,” said Nomasonto Ndlovu, LTA Chief Executive Officer.

She mentioned these to include Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site, Bela Bela Hot Springs, Marakele National Park, Vhembe and Ribola Art Route.

There will also be the Peter Mokaba Stadium Music Festival and Mall of the North Marathon during Easter.

“Our daunting responsibility at hand is converting our huge numbers of VFR into real holiday makers, which we are optimistic will impact on tourism,” Ndlovu said.

“This is our obsession now as we embark on this journey and more work will be done to better understand our target audience and core source markets, especially the Southern African Development Community (SADC) component.”

from ARIMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, MozambiqueMAPUTO, (CAJ News) – INADEQUATE funds have presented government and humanitarian organisations a dilemma in their frantic efforts to revive agriculture and stave off hunger in the wake of the Cyclone Idai that devastated Mozambique slightly a month ago.

This comes amid fears thousands of beneficiaries could be tempted to consume the maize and beans seeds distributed to them, instead of planting them.

The high possibility of this has prompted plans by the financially-struggling World Food Programme (WFP) to sustain food rations to take place alongside the distribution of seeds.

Some 1 million people have been reached with food assistance since Idai struck on March 14.

“In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, people were so very desperate,” said Lola Castro, WFP’s director for Southern Africa.

“Thanks to the hard work and resourcefulness of the many involved, the speed and scale of the response has transformed that desperation into hope,” Castro added.

People affected by the cyclone and resultant floods are receiving up to 30-day rations of rice and maize meal, pulses, fortified blended food and vegetable oil.

WFP had previously cut rations to Mozambique because of financial shortfalls in recent years.

Such deficits have returned to haunt another United Nations agency, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

It seeks an initial US$19 million to rebuild critical agricultural and fisheries infrastructure, resume local food production and support livestock owners.

At the time of going to press, $3,85 million has been allocated to immediately reach some 95 000 people.

This represents a gap of $15,5 million or 80 percent.

Nonetheless, around 15 000 farming households hit by Cyclone Idai are to receive agricultural kits including early-maturing maize and bean seeds to grow their own food again.

FAO believes the reviving livelihoods and markets as soon as possible is crucial to help farmers, fishers and pastoralists get back on their feet in time for the main planting season in October and beyond.

Farmers in areas left devastated by the cyclone have started receiving much-needed agricultural inputs thanks to a joint effort by (FAO) and Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to assist hard-hit rural families to get a head-start on the impending secondary growing season.

Manica and Sofala, the provinces worst impacted by the devastation, will receive agricultural kits containing hoes, machetes and early-maturing maize and bean seeds that, once sown, will be ready to harvest after just 90 days.

Farmers in the two provinces produce around 25 percent of Mozambique’s cereal output but most were left without assets, seed reserves and crops that were almost ready for harvest.

“Reviving livelihoods and markets as soon as possible is crucial to help farmers, fishers and pastoralists get back on their feet in time for the main planting season in October and beyond,” said Olman Serrano, FAO Representative in Mozambique.

The envoy confirmed the smaller second planting season was now underway, leaving an increasingly narrow window of opportunity to sow early-maturing crops such as the beans and maize FAO is distributing.

“These can be harvested around 90 days after planting and go some way to filing the productive gap left by the massive losses suffered in this main harvest,” Serrano said.

Subsistence farming is crucial for Mozambique’s economy and food security, with over 80 percent of the 30 million-population depending on agriculture for their livelihoods and some 99 percent of these being small-scale farmers.

by SAVIOUS KWINIKAEditor-In-ChiefJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – DESPITE the expected drop in regional maize production in 2019, worsened by the dreadful Cyclone Idai, the supply during the 2019/20 marketing year is projected to remain average due largely to carryover stocks from last year’s bumper harvest in South Africa.

This allays fears of widespread shortages of the staple crop in the bloc after the cyclone’s devastating impact on the agricultural sectors of Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

As a result of flooding and high-speed winds following Idai, over 700 000 hectares (ha) of crops were lost in central Mozambique and about 30 000 ha damaged in southern Malawi at the start of the harvest period.

In eastern Zimbabwe, most areas remain inaccessible but initial estimates indicate roughly 24 000 ha of crops have been destroyed.

FEWS NET stated that on another positive note, maize grain prices were trending near or slightly above the five-year average across the region.

This trend is projected to continue in most areas, and prices are not
anticipated to reach the high levels observed in 2016.

However, maize prices are expected to be well above average in
drought-affected areas with localised supply deficits, flood-affected
areas of Mozambique, and in Zimbabwe where both drought and macroeconomic issues are of concern.

The Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (AGBIZ) stated that if South Africa harvested at least 10 million tonnes of maize this season, which will be added to an opening stock of 3 million tonnes when the 2019/20 marketing year starts on May 1, then there could be sufficient supplies in the domestic market, to cover the country’s annual consumption of about 10 million tonnes.

Thus, the organisation forecasts South Africa’s maize exports at 1,1
million tonnes in the 2019/20 marketing year.

These exports will largely be destined for Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini.

“There might also be exports to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, which had a share of their maize fields damaged by the recent cyclone,” said Wandile Sihlobo, AGBIZ chief economist.

He noted the three countries would collectively have to import more than 1 million tonnes of maize in the 2019/2020 marketing year.

from PATRICK CHITONGO in Chikombedzi, ZimbabweCHIKOMBEDZI, (CAJ News) – COMMUNITIES in southern Zimbabwe feel a sense of ownership of the world-acclaimed Gonarezhou National Park following the peace and harmony now prevailing between them and operators of the facility.

The communities are largely VaTsonga commonly known as VaChangaana), a minority tribe but whose language is one of 16 in Zimbabwe.

Frankfurt Zoological Society, a Germany based wildlife conservation
organisation, now runs the national park famous for its pristine wildlife, including thousands of elephants.

The organisation started operations in 2017 under a 20-year lease
agreement with the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

Before the arrangement, relations between authorities and local
communities were strained as the latter argued they were being shut out of conservation efforts and denied opportunities.

There were incidents of violence largely perpetrated by armed security guards who would beat up and arrest locals accused of vandalism of park properties.

Since its takeover, Frankfurt Zoological Society has adopted a business management plan that embraces the VaTsonga community.

The plan states that the new owners have to engage the community for the sake of development of the tourism industry as well as the country.

Among the highlights, Frankfurt Zoological Society formed community-based initiatives, including one called Mpfuka.

Mpfuka is a Tsonga term for “Let us walk together.”

The project involves disadvantaged women and widows in the communities of Chibwedziwa, Chilonga, Gulugi, Chambuta and other localities in Chief Sengwe and Chief Tshovani.

They work in various face-lifting projects like brick moulding, building, carpentry, thatching and painting.

Gonarezhou pays them for their labour, a welcome development in a country battling unemployment.

The women regularly meet for food and drinks.

“On this big Mpfuka we have time to feast with locals. We also take this time to hear issues affecting the community and how we can address them together.

“On our part we present issues to do with animal conservation and the need for communities to safeguard animals and the park at large,” said Elias Livombo, Community Liason Officer in charge of projects at Gonarezhou.

Community women are currently involved in building and crafting of guest chalets at Masasanya dam, Makonde and Mabalauta camps.

The chalets are Tsonga themed and all face the majestic dams to allow quality game viewing during the day and at night.

Since Frankfurt Zoological took over from Zimbabwe National Parks, Livombo said they decided to create peace with locals because they are key stakeholders.

“It appears they had some issues with national parks. So we said this is now a new thing. Let us come together and walk together, hence the name Mpfuka,” Livombo explained.

“In whatever we are going to do, we are going to work together with the community. They provide the park with human resource and we pay salaries. All the 250 workers here come from these communities and not elsewhere.”

Another project, Tiiselani, also involves groups of women who partake in thatch grass cutting, sorting and polishing.

Gonarezhou provides transport to carry the women from their homes as well as their thatch grass from the park.

Game scouts escort them and offer protection from animals.

Apart from these projects, Gonarezhou also started a hospitality and tour guide school for locals where they are trained for free and absolved in the organisation.

“We launched this tourism school so that we can get our human resource from locals other than getting it from trained people elsewhere,” Livombo said.

“Once students finish their courses, they do not have to go looking for jobs because they are given the opportunity to work as waiters and tour guides here. We feel these communities must be empowered. They are also paid standard rates in hard currency,” Livombo said.

Hugo van der Westhuizen, the director at Frankfurt Zoological Society, said the new initiative was helping in creating a good working relationship with villagers.

He also elaborated on the contentious fence erected by the Department of Veterinary Services around the park.

The fence was meant to protect animals from mixing with cattle to curb the spread of foot and mouth disease.

“There is a misperception among villagers that we fenced off their
livestock from accessing grazing pastures. We are not responsible for that fence. It was erected by government through veterinary services in a bid to control foot and mouth. In fact, we prefer buffer zones to allow free movement of animals,” he said.

He welcomed the fact that local communities appreciated the organisation’s projects aimed at uplifting them.

“Apart from that the communities are involved in, we are also equipping libraries in local schools by donations of books. To date we have donated over 1 000 books in all schools around us,” van der Westhuizen said.

Chief Sengwe confirmed the new developments and pledged to support the Gonarezhou game park to achieve its goals in animal conservation.

“There is a new approach at Gonarezhou. We are happy that the park is now assisting our people. We are also encouraging our people to stop poaching and cutting of parameter fence like before. We cannot bite the hand that is feeding us,” the traditional leader said.

Established in 1975 and measuring 5 053 km2, Gonarezhou is the country’s second largest game reserve after Hwange National Park.

from TINO PEPUKAI in Triangle, ZimbabweTRIANGLE, (CAJ News) – ZIMBABWE’S sugar output is set to increase this year largely due to a firm capacity utilisation programme by commercial farmers and milling giant, Tongaat Hulett.

This is in addition to the availability of irrigation water, which will
ensure production levels are up for the third straight season.

Tongaat Hulett and private farmers have projected an increase in
production per hectare this year.

The Commercial Sugar Producers Association (CSPA) said members had initially projected to increase production from 95 tonnes per hectare to 97 tonnes but had since reviewed the figure upwards to over 100 tonnes.

“This is part our firm capacity utilization programme and we are not far from our projected output,” said CSPA senior official, Tawanda Mafurutu.

“The availability of water has been core to our success since sugar cane production in the country relies heavily on irrigation,” he added.

Tongaat Hulett has projected to increase production from 115 tonnes per hectare to 120 tonnes.

According to the company’s projection results, sugar production will reach 500 000 metric tonnes during the 2019/20 farming season. The trend is projected to continue right through to the 2020/21 season.

“With adequate water, the industry will accelerate current efforts to
maximize sugar production,” said the company in its analysis of the 2018 farming season.

Despite poor rains this season, Zimbabwe’s major dams have enough water to sustain sugar cane production, hence the anticipated increase.

The completion of the country’s biggest inland water body, Tugwi Mukosi (formerly Tokwe Mukosi) Dam has assured farmers of a consistent supply of irrigation water to sustain the sugar cane crop.

Other water bodies namely Bangala, Manjerenje, Mutirikwi and Siya dams also have water to supply the sugar cane plantations in the Lowveld.

The Department of Research and Specialist Services has also projected a significant increase in sugar production.

Sugar is second to tobacco in Zimbabwe’s foreign currency earnings from agriculture.

Tongaat Hulett, the South African firm, produces about 80 percent of the total sugar production while 20 percent is produced by private farmers. It produces from its plantations in Hippo Valley and Triangle.

At least 65 percent of the produced sugar is for domestic use while the rest is for export.

Before the land reforms of the year 2000, sugar cane production was a sole preserve for Tongaat Hulett.

from ARMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, MozambiqueMAPUTO, (CAJ News) – THE government and humanitarian organisations face a race against time to revive the farming, fisheries and livestock sectors that have borne the brunt of the Cyclone Idai ravaging Mozambique in recent weeks.

Farmers checking out the demonstrations of real crops at the Agritech Expo in Zimbabwe at Chisamba in 2016

According to experts, for a country where some 80 percent of the 29
million population is reliant on agriculture, it would be critical to save
the remaining animals, rehabilitating damaged land and reboot food
production when waters recede.

The violent storms destroyed vast cropland of the staple maize and sorghum on the eve of the April-May harvest and ruined much of the crops-including cassava and beans- when homes were destroyed. Nearly 500 000 hectares were flooded.

There was extensive damage to damage to irrigation, wells and animal watering holes.

United Nation’s (UN’s) Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) projects most of the losses will be from the Manica and Sofala Provinces. These regions account for a quarter of Mozambique’s cereal output.

Hundreds of livestock were lost to the floods.

Fishers also lost their assets and infrastructure, particularly in Beira,
the port city worst affected by the floods and is the main port for
importing wheat and rice.

FAO has requested an initial US$19 million (R270 million) to assist
farmers resume food production, help fishing communities and support livestock owners over the next three months.

This is ahead of the main agricultural season that begins September.

“When the floodwaters recede, it will be crucial that the government, FAO and their partners get in fast,” said Olman Serrano, FAO’s representative in Mozambique.

Serrano is also the coordinator of the organisation’s response to the
crisis in the country.

“Once we have established how and how much land can be rehabilitated, we will procure and distribute seeds as a matter of urgency so that farmers can plant for the secondary agricultural season, which is starting now, in April,” the FAO envoy said.

Disaster-prone Mozambique was among three countries –alongside
neighbouring Malawi and Zimbabwe – devastated by Cyclone Idai.

The official death toll in Mozambique rose to 518 as of April 1.

Daniele Donati, Deputy Director of FAO’s Emergency and Resilience
division, said climate change contributed to understanding the extreme nature of the cyclone, as well as to the approach towards humanitarian relief.

“It calls on us all to expand the concept of life-saving interventions to include livelihoods protection. Normalizing livelihoods is a first-order priority,” Donati said.